Old Boys Roll Scorpions 3-0 on Free Beer Night

Stegman’s Old Boys kept their perfect record on Free Beer Movement Night with a 3-0 victory of Scorpions at Big Willow.

The win, which keeps the Blues in touch at the top of the table, will be tinged with regret with the news that George Hanscom broke his tibia and fibula attempting to score during a scrum in the box. “Gorgeous” George, whose fine form continued in this game, will be sorely missed.

The Old Boys started brightly in front of an announced crowd of 218. Nathan Toldt set the tone early with ease in possession and an effortless patrolling across the back line. With Toldt unhurried and looking to build up play, the midfield trio of Tommy McCarthy, Jon Bisswurm and Sebastian Castro-Malaspina were able to get short passes to feet and keep possession.

With a stranglehold on a very good Scorpions midfield, the Blues were able to release their wingers to devastating effect.

The first goal came from a driven cross-field pass from McCarthy and flummoxed the Scorpions goalkeeper and landed at the feet of the streaking Paul Diegnau who had the simplest of finishes.

McCarthy grabbed two assists on Sunday

The second was a mirror image. Dan Hedstrom held up the ball and fed McCarthy coming through the middle. The powerful Englishman pinged a cross-field pass to the onrushing Jake Keeler who side footed the ball first time into the back of the net.

“I absolutely wasn’t shooting those times” said McCarthy after the game “that’s vision, pure vision.”

“He was shooting” said Castro-Malaspina.

Scorpions were struggling to keep a high tempo because of the heat. Still, they had the quality to threaten and looked particularly dangerous in the second half, twice required Brandon Overlie to make good saves. Those aside, the back three of Toldt, Chris Sturdy and Tyler Woodward did well to snuff out the threat.

Manning’s shot is stopped

As the half wore on, Scorpions seemed to tire and Stegman’s regained the upper hand. Pete Manning was put through but could only drive his shot against the legs of the on-rushing goalkeeper. With space opening up in the midfield both Bisswurm and Dan Hoedeman had shots from distance, with Bisswurm’s swerving, dipping shot smacking against the crossbar.

Midway through the half it was Manning again who got free on the right and fired his shot in. A series of desperate lunges deflected the ball in a Rube Goldberg-like way until the ended in the back of the net. Own goal. 3-0. Game over, crack open the beers.

There was a good turnout for Sunday’s game

“We felt a little bit sheepish” said Hoedeman “we had the luck today and it helped to pad the scoreline a bit, but we’ll feel good about this performance. It was a deserved win in the end.”

With only minutes remaining, the Blues won a corner. Rob Peichel delivered it across goal and the ball pinged around before Mike Logan sent it back across the goal to the lurking Peichel who drove his header on goal. The Scorpions goalkeeper, showing Spiderman-like reflexes, flung himself across the goal and was somehow able to palm the ball onto the post. It fell in front of the goal where the marauding Hoedeman leaped and looked to flick it in with the outside of his right book. Again, showing incredible agility, the Scorpions goalkeeper was able to get a hand to the ball and make the save. As the ball again ran out into the box Hanscom came sliding it to score.

“The snapping sound was sickening” said Bisswurm “and I know that I, the whole team and all the fans there felt terrible for George. Just bad luck, nothing malicious, nothing otherwise in it. The poor guy.”